Concentrator



E. McFARLAND AND H. T. LOWARY.-

CONCENTRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17. 1919.

1 357 884 Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET E. McFARLAND AND H. T; LOWARY.

CONGENTRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-17,1919.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

vvvbwcmo Xi/2.11am @45- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GONCENTRATOR;

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1 920.

Application filed November 17, 1919. Serial No. 338,670.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, EDWARD MQFARLAND and IIARRY T. LowARY, citizens of the United States, residing at Aspen, in the county of Bitkin and State of Colorado, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Concentrators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices used in mining and has for its object the provision of a device adapted to separate the lighter particles of auriferous or other precious metal bearing earth or sand from the heavier particles whereby the residue remaining in the device after the period of operation thereof will be rich in the precious material.

An important object is the provision of a device of this character in which the material may be used either wet or dry.

A further object is the provision of a device of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, which will be continuous in operation, efiicient in action, durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device,

Fig. 2 is a plan view,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section,

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the flue member.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the supporting frame of the device which is formed of suitable material and which has somewhat the design of a saw horse, the device being adapted for ready portability and therefore being light in construction. This framework is higher at one end than at the other so that the upper bar llwill be inclined, the forward legs 12 being longer than the rear legs 13.

Disposed beneath the upper bar 11 and between the forward legs 12 and supported upon suitable rollers 14 is a revolving cylinder formed as a barrel 15 which is disposed in an inclined direction and which has its forward end open. Secured upon the lower or closed end of this barrel, by any suitable connection, is a bevel gear 16 which meshes with a larger bevel gear 1'? secured upon a shaft 18 which is ournaled through a bracket 19 secured upon the under side of the supporting bar 11 intermediate the ends thereof. The bracket 19 also serves as a bearing for the shaft which carries a bevel gear 16. One end ofthe shaft 18 carries a pulley 20 about which is trained a belt 21 driven from any suitable source of power, which in practice might hea gas engine.

Suitably supported at the forward end of the device is a hopper 22 having an elongated discharge portion 23 extending into but terminating adjacent the open end of the barrel 15. The auriferous earthor sand is deposited within the hopper 22 from which it passes into the barrel l5.

Secured upon one end of the supporting frame 10 is a flue member 24 which is an gular in shape and which extends into the barrel 15 to a point adjacent the closed end thereof, the free extremity of this flue memher being laterally extended and curved, as shown at 25.

In the operation of the device the sand and the like is placed within the hopper 22 from which it passes into the barrel. The shaft 18 is rotated and by virtue of the gears 16 and 17 the barrel 15 will also be rotated, the action when such rotation occurs will be that the lighter particles, that is the worthless material will gradually work out of and fall from the open end of the barrel 15 while the heavier particles of precious metal and the like will remain within the lower portion of the barrel, the angular end 25 of the flue member assisting in causing the heavier particles to re main at the bottom. This flue member also performs the function of agitating the material during rotation of the barrel so that all portions will be subiect to the-same action. This operation will be continuous as long as the barrel is rotated and as long as fresh material is fed into the hopper 22. lVhen the operation has continued a sufficient length of time that the operator judges that there is a sufficient amount of heavy material within the barrel, rotation of the barrel is stopped and the heavy ma terial may be scraped out. 7

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that we have thus provided a very simple and inexpensive concentrating device, by

means of which the major portion of the worthless material in gold bearing sands may be removed in an expeditious and thor- While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is of course to be understood that we reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction, and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described our invention, we claim: c

A device of the character described comprising a supporting frame, a rotary barrel mounted within said frame in an inclined position, said barrelhaving its lower end closed and its upper end open, means for rotating the barrel, a hopper having its discharge spout positioned adjacent the open end of the barrel whereby to conduct material thereinto, and a member secured upon the frame and extending longitudinally within the barrel at substantially its center, said member being stationary so as to exert an agitating action upon the contents of the barrel when the barrel is rotated, said 'member being formed as a substantially EDWARD MQFARLAND. HARRY T. LOWARY. 

